The UFC 334 main event delivered an exciting five-round contest that breathed new life into the heavyweight division. Ciryl Gane and Josh Hokit went toe-to-toe in a gruelling battle, with the champion eventually securing a unanimous decision victory to retain his title.
Hokit immediately put Gane under pressure with his relentless aggression, forcing the champion onto the back foot and disrupting his usual striking rhythm. The challenger appeared to have the upper hand for significant portions of the fight, leaving Gane struggling to find answers to his pace and pressure.
However, the reigning champion dug deep, weathered the early onslaught, and rallied in the championship rounds to turn the tide. All three judges scored the contest 48-47 in Gane’s favor.
Considering it was Hokit’s first main event and five-round fight, his performance exceeded expectations. Even Dana White admitted that the heavyweight had earned his respect. Alex Pereira shared a similar sentiment, congratulating Hokit after the fight despite their previous animosity. Jon Jones, however, had a very different reaction.
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The former two-division champion wasted little time mocking Hokit following his narrow defeat at UFC 334. For context, Hokit trains under Greg Jackson at Jackson Wink MMA, the same gym where Jones spent much of his career.
Although Jones has a disqualification loss on his record, he famously needed less than three minutes to finish Gane at UFC 285. He submitted the Frenchman to capture the vacant heavyweight championship and was quick to remind fans of that achievement following UFC 334.
Taking to Instagram, Jones shared a post with the caption, “Same coaches different results.”
Bro, I know it’s the craziest coincidence. Almost every single fighter that talks crap about me ends up losing the next fight. I swear it’s been that way for years. Weird.
— Jonny Meat (@JonnyBones) November 15, 2026
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That wasn’t the end of it. Jones subsequently took to X to take another shot at Hokit, writing, “Bro, I know it’s the craziest coincidence. Almost every single fighter that talks c**p about me ends up losing the next fight. I swear it’s been that way for years. Weird.”
The animosity between the two stems from a diss track Hokit released ahead of UFC 334, in which he took aim at Jones, Gane, and even Tom Aspinall.
Meanwhile, many expected Pereira to pile on after his own exchanges with Hokit during the UFC 334 pre-fight press conference. However, ‘Poatan’ took a surprisingly respectful approach after the fight.
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When Gane was announced as the winner, Pereira shook his head and turned towards his coach, Plinio Cruz, seemingly expressing his disagreement with the judges’ decision. His reaction became even more apparent when footage emerged of him meeting Hokit backstage.
Pereira personally approached the American and told him that he believed he had done enough to win the fight. Cruz translated the Brazilian’s words into English, prompting Hokit to respond, “Best of luck in your fight. Chama.”
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Pereira now has his sights set on Sergei Pavlovich, whom he is scheduled to face at UFC 335. A victory could put the Brazilian in position to challenge Gane for the heavyweight championship, potentially setting up a rematch with the Frenchman.
Kshitiz Kumar Singh is a UFC Writer at NY Fights with over three years of experience in sports journalism and content creation. Known for his sharp storytelling and passion for combat sports, he has written in-depth features on stars like Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and Ilia Topuria. Before joining NY Fights, Kshitiz worked as a UFC Editor at EssentiallySports while currently serving as a WWE Editor at FirstSportz. His admiration for legends like Georges St-Pierre continues to inspire his detailed and engaging MMA coverage. Whether he’s covering the Octagon or the squared circle, Kshitiz is committed to delivering accurate, high-quality content. Outside the world of sports, he’s a dedicated cinephile, often found practicing monologues from his favorite Al Pacino films, combining his love for cinema with storytelling.
